Etymologically
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riche

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ʁiʃ/[1]

Forms

riche (plural riches)[1] Old French also rice (1050).[2][3]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Frankish *rīki (“powerful”).[4][2][5][3][6] The Germanic family includes Old High German rīhhi, Old English rīce (now English rich), Middle Dutch rijcke, Old Norse ríkr and Gothic 𐍂𐌴𐌹𐌺𐍃 (reiks), Rey thinks it is an early adaptation of Celtic “rix” (Gaulish “-rix” in “Vercingetorix”), matching Latin rēx (“king”) (see roi).[2][7] Wiktionary gives Proto-Germanic *rīkijaz (“rich, powerful”).[1] The TLFi connects Italian ricco, Spanish rico, Portuguese rico and Old Occitan ric with the Gothic word, Bloch and Wartburg think the southern languages also borrowed it, and F. Jensen derives them from a popular Latin “*rikkus”.[4][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Vie de saint Alexis (about 1050) riche hom is a powerful man with great possessions; it is also used as a noun.[4][2]

Semantic evolution

In Old and Middle French it meant powerful in political power, social rank and possessions together; in the 12th and 13th centuries it could mean “considerable” and, in war, “bold”, and, from the parable of the rich man, “haughty”.[2][7] The TLFi holds that the sense “wealthy” is assured only about 1265 (Brunetto Latini), while Rey dates it from the first texts.[4][2] The Voyage de saint Brendan (about 1120) uses it of a castle showing wealth.[4] Riche de “abounding in” is in Villehardouin (about 1208) and figuratively in Montaigne (1580), and riche en from 1553.[4] Nouveau riche is already in Montesquieu's Lettres persanes.[5] Riche comme Crésus is in Furetière (1690) and riche à millions in the Académie (1694).[8]

Timeline

  • c. 1050 – Riche hom, Vie de saint Alexis.[4]
  • c. 1120 – Showing wealth, Voyage de saint Brendan.[4]
  • 12th century – Richesse, at first “power”.[5]
  • c. 1208 – Riche de, Villehardouin.[4]
  • c. 1265 – “Wealthy”, Brunetto Latini.[4]
  • 1466 – Richard.[5]
  • 18th century – Nouveau riche, Montesquieu.[5]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. rich, wealthy: une famille riche, riche comme Crésus.[3][1]
  2. Rich in, abounding in: un aliment riche en vitamines, riche d'expérience.[4][8]
  3. Fertile; abundant, plentiful: une terre riche, une riche moisson.[1][8]
  4. Sumptuous, costly: une riche demeure.[4][8]
  5. Of food, heavy, rich in fat or sugar.[1]
  6. (familiar) C'est pas riche: it's not much, it's poor.[8]

Noun

  1. A rich person: les riches et les pauvres, nouveau riche.[1][5]

Word family

  • richesse
  • richement
  • richard
  • richissime
  • enrichir
  • enrichissement
  • English rich
  • German reich

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  3. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 16, 713a
  7. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  8. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse